What should I do if a buyer approved the proof but my custom Etsy sign has a typo?

Hi! If the wording on the finished custom sign is wrong and it’s your mistake, the “cleanest” Etsy-friendly move is to proactively message the buyer, own it, and offer a remake (or a remake + partial refund) as the primary solution—then give them an easy choice if they’d rather keep it. Even though they approved the proof, you’ll usually protect your shop (reviews, messages, and potential “not as described” issues) by fixing it before it ships.

Here’s what I’d do, step by step:

1. Pause shipping and message them right away
   Keep it short, calm, and solution-focused. Don’t over-explain—just acknowledge the error and present options.

Message you can copy/paste:
“Hi [Name]! Quick update before I ship: I noticed I used the wrong word on the top line for one of the three signs. That’s on me. I can remake that sign with the correct wording and ship it out as soon as it’s ready, or if you prefer to keep it as-is I can offer a discount/partial refund for that one. Which option would you like?”

1. Offer two clear options (make it easy for them to say yes)
   Good options for made-to-order custom signs:

• Option A (best customer experience): Remake the incorrect sign at no cost and ship it as soon as possible.
• Option B (if they’re okay with it): They keep the sign as-is and you give a partial refund/discount for that sign.
• Option C (only if practical): Send a replacement part/overlay/patch if your product allows a clean fix that doesn’t look “patched.” (If it will look like a workaround, I’d avoid this.)

1. What I’d recommend in your situation
   Because you said it was your mistake (and it’s not easily fixable), I’d lead with the remake. If remaking wipes out your profit, you can still protect your margin a bit by offering one of these “middle” approaches (only if the buyer is open to it):

• Remake + small goodwill refund (or free upgraded shipping on the remake) instead of a big refund.
• Remake and ask if they’re okay with a slightly longer timeline (don’t ask them to pay more; just manage expectations).
• If the buyer is on a deadline (gift/event), you can ask: “Do you want me to ship the other two now and the corrected one right after?” (Sometimes splitting shipments costs more, so only offer it if it won’t sink you.)

1. Avoid shipping the wrong sign “hoping it’s fine”
   Even with proof approval, if it arrives with incorrect personalization, many buyers will understandably feel disappointed. It’s also the kind of situation that can lead to a poor review or an Etsy case. Fixing it before it ships is usually cheaper than fixing it after.

2. If they choose a partial refund
   Make sure you and the buyer agree in Etsy Messages on:

• they are accepting the sign as-is
• the exact refund amount (or percent) and that it’s for that one sign

Then process the partial refund through Etsy so it’s documented properly.

If you want, tell me roughly what each sign sells for, your hard cost for the remake (materials + time), and whether you’ve shipped yet—then I can suggest a “fair but not painful” partial refund range and the cleanest way to word the options.